I'm certain 90% of all criminals in prisons consider themselves to be good people too. Yet the fact of the matter still stands: They truly are not good at all.

"...there is none good but one, that is, God..." - Matthew 19:17

I know you may think to yourself that you are a good person based on certain facts that, 1) you've never killed a person. 2) You've never stolen anything. 3) Perhaps, you have never done any wrongdoing whatsoever in your entire life.

But let us ask the question: Is it true that you have NEVER done anything wrong in your life?

Let's put the truth to the test.

"Thou shalt do NO murder." - Matthew 19:18

God clearly commanded to not commit murder. Have you ever killed someone?

No? Hmm. That's not surprising since only 7.9% of the entire prison population is incarcerated for violent crimes, which is only about 181,078 total inmates (see "Incarceration in the United States" by Wikipedia). That's not even 1% of the entire U.S. population.

BUT, have you ever wished in your heart for someone to be dead? Ever thought to yourself that you wish we could just "...drop a bomb on those people in the Middle East"? Would you ever be the one to push the button if given the opportunity? If so, then how does that make you any better of a person than a murderer?

"Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him." - 1 John 3:15

"Ye have heard that it was said of them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment; and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire." - Matthew 5:22

Clearly, you are a murderer.

Suppose you are in a situation where there are 5 people in one room. You are one of them. There is only enough food for 1 person. Those who couldn't eat will die. Would you ever KILL the other 4 to keep yourself alive?

Or perhaps you are not THAT evil.

Maybe you would just simply eat the food secretly while everyone else slept. Then they could all die without you having to actually "kill" them.

Can't you see that you are a murderer, and that you have no eternal life abiding in you?

Okay...

So perhaps you have never hated. Maybe, you have never wished for the bloodshed of anyone.

JUST MAYBE...

You would let someone else kill YOU while they ate the food.

WELL....

What about fornication (sexual immorality)?

"Thou shalt not commit adultery." - Exodus 20:14

Certainly you have never slept with someone else's wife, have you?

No?

Never?

What about in your heart?

"Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart." - Matthew 5:27-28

Hmm. If I were to gather every man I could find in my city, I would weary myself to sleep trying to find a man who has never looked at pornography a day in his life.

Okay...

So maybe you are the golden boy, and you are such a good person that you've never EVER wanted to sleep with someone you weren't married to.

Ever told a lie?

"Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another." - Ephesians 4:25

All liars will have their part in the lake of fire....

"...and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death." - Revelation 21:8

"The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good." - Psalms 14:1

My friend, let me explain something to you. You are quite the criminal. If prison time only required words that came out of your mouth, you would be guilty of every single nasty word you've ever spoken of, every hateful thing you've ever said, every sinful desire you've ever expressed.

"But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man." - Matthew 15:18-20

The Bible says that every idle word men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment (Matt. 12:36). Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court... of God's law.

Do not think that nobody sees you

"He hath said in his heart, God hath forgotten: he hideth his face; he will never see it." - Psalms 10:11

On the contrary. God sees everything you do, both in the light, and in the dark. And that which is secret will be made manifest. Nothing will be hid.

Do you now see that there is not a soul upon the earth that does good, and sins not? Everyone is a sinner. Everyone is guilty.

Guilty as charged. That is what you are. You are not a good person.

There is none good. No.

Not even one!

But I have good news....

God loves you and he doesn't want you to go to hell.

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." - John 3:16

You CAN be forgiven, if you want to.

Jesus said to a woman that was a prostitute that her sins were forgiven:

"Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little. And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven." - Luke 7:47-48

The burden of forgiveness is upon YOU.

Will you believe God?

Will you ask him for forgiveness?

WILL YOU RETURN TO HIM WITH ALL OF YOUR HEART?

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." - 1 John 1:9

You have God's solemn promise that HE WILL FORGIVE YOU.

And my friend, that's a deal you simply cannot afford to ignore.

If you wish to be forgiven, I suggest praying a prayer like this:

"Lord Jesus, please forgive me of all my sins. Please save me."

IT'S THAT SIMPLE!

"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." - Romans 10:9

If you truly meant the above prayer, the Bible promises that God will forgive you, and he will give you eternal life! God loves you so much that he is willing to forgive any kind of sin you have ever done! The next step is to read the Bible everyday, pray everyday, and attend a local Bible preaching church.